Members of the district units of the Karnataka Prantha Krishi Koolikarara Sangha, Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions laid siege to the Deputy Commissioner’s Office and courted arrest recently, demanding sites and houses for the poor.
Addressing the protestors, Dasu Bhandary, president of district unit of Karnataka Prantha Krishi Koolikara Sangha (Karnataka State Agricultural Workers’ Union), said persons not having sites should be provided at least 10 cent of land and a house on it, free of cost in both urban and rural areas.
The tiller should be given all rights over the land and the district administration should give title deeds to them. Dalits and tribals should be given five acres of land to pursue agriculture. The government should ensure quick disposal of land disputes so that lands could be given to the poor.
The K. Kasturirangan Report on Conservation of Western Ghats should be amended in such a manner that the rights of tribals were not disturbed. Nearly 18 lakh hectares of land should be taken from the Department of Forests and given to poor farmers, Mr. Bhandary said.
DC’s response
T. Venkatesh, Deputy Commissioner, who received the memorandum, said the process of giving sites to the poor had already started in the district, and 160 acres havwe been identified for this purpose. Of the 25,000 applications received for sites, 7,000 applicants had been given title deeds.
The administration had sent a proposal to the State government seeking a joint survey by both Revenue and Forest Departments to take away 34,000 hectares of land from deemed forests. But a decision on this had to be taken by the cabinet.
Nearly 25,000 Akrama Sakrama applications had been disposed, while 39,000 applications were pending. Action on this would be taken by the Committees under local MLAs in their respective Assembly constituencies.
The government had to take a decision on the issue of reservation of “go-mala” land. A joint meeting of the Tahsildars and Executive Officers of three taluks would be called on the issue of ‘go-mala’ land. The administration would allow the leaders of farm groups to participate in this meeting, Mr. Venkatesh said.
